Swindon This Is Swindon (compilation) [1980]

WARNING: This release is not remotely extreme in any way, shape or form. If that bothers you, go give Black Pentacle a visit. This certainly deviates from the norm here at Court In The Act, but it's a good deviation in my eyes (which are currently fucked over by hayfever). This is an obscure compilation of bands from Swindon in the early eighties - indeed, these seem to be the only tracks which exist for each of these groups according to last.fm (although Bantu share their name with a reggae artist). So, what about the music? Well, I'm not very good in this area, but I believe this is a rather catchy take on new wave with just a little smattering of punk added for the sake of it - all four bands play similar styles too. I found this on the wonderful no longer forgotten music blog.

320 kbps

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Re-upload: Ulver - Bergtatt: Et Eeventyr 5 Capitler [1994]

Ulver were always overlooked in terms of Norwegian black metal's second wave, but this album, which implemented folk element to a much greater extent than 'Nattens Madrigal...' illustrates why that shouldn't be the case.

Re-upload notes: No particular reason for re-upping this one other than the fact that it's the oldest one that I haven't received a DMCA notification for.

270kbps VBR

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Re-upload: Strapping Young Lad - City [1997]

The insane genius Devin Townsend has created in his lifetime some of the world's craziest, and best music, but this is his best - that's certainly saying a lot. A piece of industrial metal that is avant-garde despite largely holding popular structure, it should not be missed in any metal fan's collection.

Re-upload notes: This contains a few demo versions of tracks as bonuses. I've got to admit I'm not much of a fan of Townsend's post-SYL work but most of the SYL stuff is great.

160 kbps

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Sanctuary - Into The Mirror Black [1990]

Okay, I admit it, I am a power metal fan/faggot (depending on your point of view). I can't help it when some of it is as awesome as this, Sanctuary's second and last album from 1990. You see, power metal is at its best not when writing 7-hour long conceptual odysseys, but rather when they write some ballsy songs (see: Running Wild, early Blind Guardian). And here, Sanctuary write songs with surprisingly socially aware lyrics for metal music - admittedly, the 'Long Since Dark'/'Epitaph' duo isn't quite up to the par of the rest of the album, but the quality of the likes of 'Future Tense', 'The Mirror Black' and 'One More Murder' is beyond question. It's quite thrashy in places too, so could provide an entry album to power metal for those into the more extreme ends of metal. Unfortunately often overlooked when considering the genre, this album is a classic.

192 kbps

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Nurse With Wound - Rock 'n Roll Station [1994]

'Do you remember? It was 1959. The observatory. What a strange story. Rock and roll session is a session where we can do what we want to do. [...] Everything is possible.' These lyrics from the opening title track of Nurse With Wound's 1994 magnum opus Rock 'n Roll Station. Although their (well, really 'his' - it's a project of Steven Stapleton) music is fairly indefinable, to newcomers it's normally a mixture of industrial and avant-garde, but on this, Stapleton took a break from the norm to make a more rhythmic record, which was controversial among existing fans to say the least. Regardless, it's far from mainstream and is a stunning album which should be listened to again and again and again.

N.B. This is a 1996 re-release which features a remix of the closing track.

192 kbps


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Merzbow/Shora - Switching Rethorics split [2002]

So this is one of the more interesting splits you're likely to hear in the near future. If you have any knowledge of noise whatsoever you're almost certain to know of the crazy Masami Akita, otherwise known as Merzbow. On the other side of this split is the Swiss band Shora, who despite having turned to wishy-washy post-rock on their most recent album Malval actually play a decent brand of angular, chaotic hardcore in the vein of mid-era Converge here (and I believe this is the only release in which they actually use vocals). The two styles juxtapose surprisingly well (the Merzbow side is in his post-millenium style - I'd name a release but there's so fucking many). Seriously, both acts are very impressive here. Go for it.

192 kbps

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Re-upload: Cro-Mags - The Age Of Quarrel [1986]

N.B. The archive and files have the WRONG year on them.

Cro-Mags' debut is one of the quintessential albums of the New York hardcore (punk, not techno) scene. Although I'm not normally one for talk of 'Street Justice' and the like, preferring my comfortable bedroom, this is catchy and essential.

Re-upload notes: Don't think the N.B. is still true after the re-upload but I can't be bothered checking. Also, don't bother checking out any of the other material, very little of it's any good (OOH CONTROVERSIAL).

192 kbps

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Re-upload: Pulling Teeth - Martyr Immortal [2007]

This is one of the best recent hardcore albums. The anger and hatred in it is obvious, and although I don't agree with all the lyrical ideas (I think vegetarianism is illogical (veganism, not so much)), it is nonetheless rousing and thoughtful. Closer to 'Scum' than 'Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables'.

Re-upload notes: Yes, there are breakdowns. No, this does not make the album shit. They are tastefully used and very effective. All of Pulling Teeth's other material is also good, except for their swansong last year, the name of which escapes me for the moment, but that was bitterly disappointing.

160 kbps

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Atomski Rat - Iluzije Stvarnosti [2012]

I haven't even heard this shit yet, but I was so excited when it popped up on the Degen Erik (excellent blog) RSS that I just had to post it. Seriously, Atomski Rat's debut EP (I think it was up here but it's still a Megaupload link - I'll sort that out in the next few days) was some seriously good noisy, crusty hardcore shit and essentially got me into the awesome Serbian music scene (also check out Dishumanity in particular). For a short while earlier in the year, it was looking like the band was never going to release more material but now they have - and it's a full-length (although I'm as of yet unsure of its actual length I'm guessing it'll be around 25-30 minutes long). The track I've heard from Youtube is very solid too, and there are some other samples on there in case my fanboyism wasn't enough to convince you. I never normally do this but I'm nicking a link from Degen Erik (dear other blogs, if you use a link at least acknowledge the source):

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Foreskin - Anger Management demo [2012]

Trying to catch up a little on my backlog of band submissions - I've got a new rule, if you haven't noticed - I'll post it if I think it's good (and I'm unlikely to listen to it if I don't like the genre it's described as - take note, the guy who sent dubstep). Sorry to all those who have been waiting. Anyway, Foreskin are a crossover band from Lahore, Pakistan, and this is their fourth demo (although I was unaware of their existence until now). It consists of two tracks - the first is a little slower and seems to have a little black metal influence (although thrash is still the primary factor) and next to no hardcore, whilst the second, title track sounds like a mixture of Crossover-era DRI with a little bit of Sabbat (Japan) mixed in.

Unfortunately, the songwriting is a little bit lacking and doesn't really have anything to set it off, or indeed to set it apart from other bands of the style. Ultimately, the reason is the lack of hooks in much of the music - there's nothing which really drags the listener in (and I don't necessarily mean a chorus, it just seems like background music to me). That said, it's better than a good deal of material being produced by better-known thrash bands today (the recent Testament album being a good example), and is more than good enough for background music.

Members of the band have numerous other projects between them - the vocalist, Hassan Umer, sings for a crust band called Choots (and in all honesty, the Choots material sounds better to me), and he and guitarist Sheraz Ahmed were also members of a death/grind band called Multinational Corporations (production lacks a little bit, but it's solid deathgrind and heaven knows this author appreciates the Napalm Death reference). Ahmed is also in death metal bands Marwolaeth and Dionysus (from the tracks of the other bands I've listened to, I think Foreskin is actually my least favourite but it's still good material).

Anyway, I recommend this material to anyone who just can't get enough thrash in their life. Don't go out of your way to get it, but now you're here you might as well have a listen. Have fun.

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Re-upload: Whitehouse - Mummy And Daddy [1998]

Along with the splendid Dedicated to Peter Kürten, this is probably Whitehouse's most celebrated work. As varied as power electronics is ever likely to get (ahem), this is something worth listening to for all fans of the odd.

Re-upload notes: Realised I hadn't posted anything for a few days so I decided to pick a page of old posts at random and re-upload the first thing that took my fancy. 'A Cunt Like You' is a splendid song.

192 kbps

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